A $2 million resurfacing project in 2012 turned out to be merely a patch on State Highway 124 as the busy road will undergo a complete overhaul in 2014.

The 2012 overlay project did improve the traverse-ability factor of State Highway 124, but the volume of traffic is the next issue the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) intends to address in the coming year by making a portion of the roadway a five-lane highway .

The project will cost an estimated $7 million that will be funded through an 80-20 grant — 80 percent of the funding will come from the federal government, and the remaining 20 percent from the state.

“Back in 2006 we opened the Weir Road interchange,” AHTD public information officer Danny Straessle said. “As a result, traffic on State Highway 326 doubled.”

Straessle said according to a 2011 traffic analysis conducted by the AHTD, the number of motorists who travel State Highway 326 — also known as Weir Road — has increased to 18,000 annually. That’s a stark contrast to the 8,300 recorded travelers during 2005.

“A lot of that traffic comes down 124 to get on Weir Road to enter I-40,” Straessle said. “There is an increase of traffic due to this.”

Department officials had two concerns about the roads in question, according to Straessle: A, can existing roads handling the traffic, and B, what are the current safety conditions?

The basic design of the road widening will have two lanes in each direction, plus the benefit of a fifth lane used for making left turns. It will look similar to the completed road widening project done on State Highway 7 between Dover and Russellville.

“It’s amazing what’s going to happen on Arkansas roadways when it’s all said and done,” Straessle said.

There are two projects slated to be expedited in the Russellville area during the next few years. In addition to the road widening project on State Highway 124, the section of State Highway 326 between Hob Nob and Crow Mountain may be taking bids from contractors as early as mid-fall.

The cost for that section of roadway improvement is estimated to cost nearly $6 million — $3 million from federal money and the other $3 million from the city of Russellville.

The project also entails removing the T at Weir Road and State Highway 124 and eliminating the sharp curve east of the Weir Road-124 intersection.

“There will be a new alignment, new path on Highway 124 South,” Straessle said. “The new alignment will allow traffic to go into 326; therefore, reducing traffic backups.”

“The road between Crow Mountain and Center Valley is what’s being widened. This will reduce traffic congestion by increasing capacity which will improve safety. It will also improve traffic conditions at the school. It will help facilitate left turns with no traffic backup.”

Relocating utilities and right-of-way acquisitions are part of the process. The AHTD is unsure at this time how much additional land purchase is required.

“The utility companies have to bear the cost for moving utilities,” Straessle said. “After utilities are moved, the ‘bid letting’ process can begin.”